Sixtieth General Assembly
Plenary
51st & 52nd Meetings (AM & PM)
Deeply alarmed over the critical condition of millions desperately awaiting immediate response in Pakistan's high altitude valleys following the 7.6 earthquake that rocked South Asia early on 8 October, the General Assembly requested United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to further strengthen the rapid response capacities for immediate humanitarian relief efforts in the devastated region, building on existing arrangements and ongoing initiatives, in one of four resolutions adopted today.
Spotlighting the plight of millions of people worldwide in 2005 who needed help to pull through crises ranging from large-scale conflict and abiding food insecurity to catastrophic earthquakes and their aftermath, Assembly President Jan Eliasson (Sweden) opened today's meeting by stressing the significance of strengthening United Nations emergency relief assistance and boosting its coordination with the wider humanitarian aid community to help mitigate disasters, speed up the deployment of resources and stimulate post-disaster development.
He said that the complexity of today's crises and the growing magnitude of disasters required that humanitarian assistance remain one of the Organization's highest priorities. The draft resolutions under consideration concerned the recent South Asian earthquake, the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami and the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Hundreds of thousands of human beings in grave need and mortal danger were at the heart of the Assembly's discussions, he said, adding "Our solidarity with them must be unwavering."
By further terms of the text on the South Asian earthquake, the Assembly asked Mr. Annan to appoint a special envoy to, among other things, sustain the international community's political will to support the medium- and long-term rehabilitation, reconstruction and risk reduction efforts.
Maintaining worldwide focus on the need to strengthen emergency relief, reconstruction and prevention after last December's Indian Ocean tsunami disaster, which killed nearly 250,000 people and left an arc of devastation across 12 countries, the Assembly adopted another resolution encouraging continued effective coordination among the Governments of affected countries, relevant United Nations bodies, donors, regional and global financial institutions, civil society and the private sector, to ensure adequate response to remaining humanitarian needs.
Another provision of that text reaffirmed that all regional efforts should serve the purpose of strengthening international cooperation aimed at the creation of a global multi-hazard early warning system, including the newly established Indian Ocean Warning and Mitigation System.
Conscious of the long-term nature of the consequences of the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the Assembly also adopted a resolution requesting the United Nations Coordinator of International Cooperation on Chernobyl to organize, in collaboration with the affected countries of Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation, a further study of health, environmental and socio-economic consequences of the accident, consistent with the recommendations of the Chernobyl Forum.
When the floor was opened for discussion, delegations noted the serious challenges faced by the United Nations humanitarian response mechanisms during the past year. Agreeing on the need to strengthen the Organization's coordination and disaster relief capacity, speakers said that addressing the world body's funding capacity was one of the most critical steps to achieving that objective. Many delegations, particularly those in disaster-prone and small island regions, also highlighted the need to improve global disaster response and reduction mechanisms.
Noting the increasing demands on the Central Emergency Revolving Fund, delegations supported the Secretary-General's recommendation to modernize that mechanism by expanding its target of $500 million to include a grant element alongside its existing loan element. The modernized Fund would be used to ensure resources were immediately available for rapid response to humanitarian crises and address critical humanitarian needs in underfunded emergencies. One speaker noted that making the modernized Fund a success required a flexible advisory group structure and clear criteria for the allocation of resources, as well as accurate needs assessments and appropriate accounting and reporting mechanisms.
The Assembly also took up the Secretary-General's report on assistance to the Palestinian people. The Permanent Observer of Palestine said such international assistance had been the "lifeline" for the Palestinian people over the past decades of occupation and deprivation since 1967, when the Palestinian economy had been hostage to the occupying Power and had been forbidden to reach its potential.
The past five years had seen a downward spiral in the Israeli attitude towards international assistance efforts, going from obstruction to destruction by systematically destroying hosts of internationally-funded infrastructure projects such as ports, roads and water networks. The Palestinian Authority had formulated a Medium-term Development Plan and called on the international community to endorse it with funding of the projects, in order to quickly optimise Palestinian ownership. Pledges should be backed by delivery of funding and pressure should be brought upon Israel to end its occupation, he added.
In other action, the Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing 800 years of Mongolian statehood, to be celebrated in 2006. The text welcomed the efforts of Mongolia and other Member States to preserve nomadic culture and traditions in modern societies. It also invited Member States, the United Nations system and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to participate actively in the events surrounding Mongolia's anniversary celebration.
Speaking in the Assembly today were the representatives of Jamaica (on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China), United Kingdom (on behalf of the European Union), Grenada (on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)), United States, Japan, Cuba, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Russian Federation, Maldives, China, Malawi (on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)), Switzerland, Canada, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Norway, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Nepal, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, India and Thailand.
Also addressing the meeting were the representatives of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Organization of Migration (IOM) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
Resolutions were introduced by the representatives of Pakistan, Belarus, Malaysia (on behalf of Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)), and Mongolia.
Speaking in exercise of the right of reply was the representative of Israel and the observer for Palestine.
The Assembly will reconvene on Monday, 28 November, to consider matters related to oceans and law of the sea.
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